Steven Holl Architects

Steven Holl’s Daeyang Gallery and House on a residential hillside outside of Seoul, South Korea, draws inspiration from composer Istvan Anhalt’s 1967 sketch of three fragments of a musical score entitled “Symphony of Modules.” In its built form, Holl’s 10,703-square-foot gallery and house comprises three distinct pavilions—one each for the actual residence, an entry hall, and an event space—all on top of a gallery volume that unifies the structure. The pavilion volumes are tied together by a thin film of water in the form of a shallow reflecting pool on the gallery roof; rectangular skylights under the water allow light to penetrate down to the gallery’s interiors. The datum of the reflecting pool is also evident from the entry gate, with grade-level bamboo-formed concrete walls, which contrast with the treated copper cladding of the pavilions above. Thin skylights in the pavilions’ ceilings echo those in the gallery below, and the charcoal-stained wood interiors in the pavilions, combined with full-height glazing, add light and warmth to the residence and reception areas.

“It’s fantastic the way the project integrates ideas about natural light, water, landscape, and materiality into such a coherent statement.” —Mark Yoes